Sealing device for electrodes of electric furnaces



Aug. 1 1, 1925.

E. BECK SEALING DEVICE FOR ELECTRODES OF ELECTRIC FURNACES Filed May l. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Aug. 11, 1925. 1,549,431

E. BECK SEALING DEVICE FOR ELECTRODES OF ELECTRIC FURNACES Filed May l, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 8nd@ (ma.

643' YVf/ Patented Aug. ll, 1925.

b 1,549,431 PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES ERICH BECK, 0F BESITA, BUHANIA.

BILLING DEVICE FOB HECTBQDS 0l' ELECTRIC FUERA-CES.

appuuuon ma uw 1, 1m. uml n. 11am.

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, Enron BECK, a c1tizen of the German Republic, and residing at vResita, Rumania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sealing Devices for Electrodes of Electric Furnaces, of which the following vis a specification.

This invention relates to sealing devices for electrodes of elect-ric furnaces. The object of the invention is to rovide a' simple and chea device of this klnd which has a placed. In electric ovens or furnaces it is important to prevent gas from escapingv from the furnace through the opening through which the electrode is introduced into the oven because hereby' the consumption of the electrode and of current is reduced and the heating process is shortened, in addition to other advantages. Attempts have been made to provide tight glands, through which the electrodes are introduced, in the form of stone segments. The results obtained by this form of seal are, however, not satisfactory because the joint or space between the segments and the electrodes cannot be maintained tight. This is due to the fact that the diameter of the electrode is not always the same and a certain amount of lateral play of the electrodes is necessary. Besides, the masonry of the ,cover of the furnace, through openings of which the electrodes are introduced, does not expand uniformly se that these openings are not always in proper` alignment with the axes of the electrodes. To obtain tight joints around the electrodes which are reliable and do not seriously interfere with their working telescopic glands or sealing devices are use which are expensive and entail `Athe further disadvantage that it is necessary to alter the construction of the furnace plant to enable them to be tted into the same. Besides the electrode, and particularly the currentconducting partof the same, has to be made longer than in a furnace without such a sealing device..-*This entails increased losses' It has also been proposed to obtaintight ybetween two segments o joints around the electrodes by means of magnetlzable ring segments which are attracted to the electrodes when current passes through them. The ring segments thus tend to close the joint between.the electrode and themselves. But the joints between adjacent segments remain uncovered, or they were covered with plates made of magnetic material, so that the` various segments were magnetically short crcuited. This weakens the magnetism to such an extent that the desired effect is not obtained. Another drawback in the known arrangement is that there is no mechanical connection between the various segments so that they are liable to Ycrowd together at one side of the electrede while at the other side wide gaps are left between adjacent segments.

The object of this invention is to remove these drawbacks in electrode glands of the magnetic ring segment type. This Vis accomplised by interconnectmg adjacent ring segments by means of hinged or pivoted links whose movements with respect to the segments are restricted so that crowding of the segments or irregular disposition of' the same around the electrode is prevented. Another feature of the invention consists in covering the joints between segments with plates of non-magnetic material. In cases in which several su rimposed segment rings of different dlameter are employed layers of non-magnetic material may b e interposed between the superimposed rings.

The invention is shown in the drawing. Like parts in the various figures are designated by similar reference numerals.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a part of an electrode and the furnace cover and land or segment ring through which the e ectrode is introduced.

Fig. 2 'is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig.- 3 shows a part of the top gland or sealing ring'on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4l is asection through a joint and connecting link between adjacent segments. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a part of the lower segment ring' and Fig. 6 a section throu h a joint and link fthey lower se ent rin of. the gland shown in Figs. 1 an 2.

eferring to the drawin his the furnace cover and 2 a ring shap' water cooler on the cover. The electrode is introduced through the water cooler 2 and furnace `to each other.

cover 1. Supported on the water cooler 2 -iS the lower sealing ring or gland 4. This ring consists of four segments 5 each extending around one quarter of the circum- 'ference of the electrode 3. v The. segments-5 consist of soft iron. When the segments are disposed around the electrode so that their vinner Surfaces contact vwith the latter asmall gap remainsA between adjacent segments.

Neary the joints or gaps between adjacent segments a recess is formed in the top ot' one segment andv another recess in the bottom surface of the other segment. v The walls of these recesses are circular except at the periphery of the ring where their shape is in conformity with the links 7 that are pivo'tcd in the said recesses.A The pairs of links 7 are interconnectedfby pivots 9, washers 10 being provided to facilitate movements of the two members `of the linkswith respect The links, several pairs of which may be provided at each gap between adjacent'segments, consist entirely of non-- 5 is equal to the diameter of the electrodes for example 16 when the electrode diameter is 16". At the periphery of each segment .j ring there is provided a small spring plate vring exceptv that it` is not l1 of non-magnetic `material which covers the-gap between adjacent segments 5. The small plate may be attached by screws.V On the top surface of the lower sealing ring 4 there are a number of bars -12 of non- [magnetic material such as copper, brass or When current is sent through the electrode l the iron segments are powerfully magnetized and attract each other. This magnetismv tends to reduce the gaps between segments so as to contract the segment ring 'and press its inner edges against the electrode. By this action the ring is caused to form a gastightgjpint with the electrode even if the diameter of the same differs somewhat from the internal diameter of the segment ring. In spite of this tight joint 'the segments do not cleave to the electrodes because the magnetism continually changes with the fluctuations of the current and unnoticeable vibration of the rings. is' thus set up. As themovements of the links 7 with respect to each other are' restricted'any individual seg' ment is prevented from moving much furT The ther towards the middle of the electrodel than the others and the gap between any two segments is thus prevented from ericeed-4 ing a certain measure. The contraction of the ring-and its expansion is thus uniformly distributed. over all of theV segments. As long as the opening or channel through which an electrode enters is in perfect align ment with the axis of the electrode, which is the case when the furnace cover is new, the segments forma closed ringv when the di'- ameter of the electrode in the example described above is only slightly smaller,l say 1527/32 smaller, tha-n that of the ring. When the diameterof the electrode is normal, .that is 16, small air gaps will exist between adjacent segments. These are covcred by the spring plates 11; VVhenv` the furnace cover becomes warped, so that its surface near the openings for the electrodes is not at. right angles to the axes of the electrodes, a section through the electrode taken along the surface of the cover will have the shapeof an ellipse and the segments of the sealing ring will vbe'shifted on the furnace cover so that the ring will also assume approximately the shape of the same ellipse. Due to the aforedescribed arrangement Vof the segment rings this will however not seriously affect the-tightness of the joint between the electrode' and the inner edges of the segments. n j The joints between the segments need only be covered at their outer` edges because'a second segment ring is placed vupon the lower one, the joints of the two rings being staggered. lf necessary, more rings correspendingv to the lower one, provided with riveted intervening bars, may be placed above one another. In many cases it will, however, be found that a single sealing ring like the top one will be sufficient and that the bottom` ring may be dispensed with. More than two rings will only rarely be needed because it will be found that two rings will suiiice even under adverse conditions.

Light holders 14 may be provided for the purpose of preventing the rings from being lifted oil' the vcooler 2 when damaged elec-` trodes are drawn out of the furnace.

The advantages of the aforedescribed novel sealing device are as follows: As the device is only very short the electrodes can also be made very short. When one segment ring only is used, which will be suicient in many cases, the height of the ring above the top surface of the ring shaped cooler amounts to about yz".

The exceedingly small height of the sealing device or gland affords the following important advantages:

(a) Low consumption of electrodes through breakage because the stresses'. imposed -through knocks operate through a smaller leverage and the point of connection at which the new electrode is patched onto the old one is only subjected to knocks and the passage of current for a short time. The electrode is exposed to frequent knocks 'during working due to unavoidable short circuits which occur when the material in the furnace is touched simultaneously by both electrodes;

(b) Low -frame for supporting the suspended electrodes so that they can be accurately and easily guided;

(c) Short path for the current in the electrode and electrode suspender or frame and hence small current losses and little copper in the electrode suspender;

(d) Few Stoppa-ges of working on account of broken electrodes and hence increased output of the furnace.

The costs of production of the novel sealing device are much lower than those of all other known types of electrode glands and the like. The novel sealing device can be itted without any stoppage of the furnace. To this end the electrode is merely lifted until its end is slightly higher than the cooling ring now provided in all furnaces; the segment ring is then pushed onto the cooling ring with the aid of two rods or bars and the electrode is then lowered again. These operations can be easily executed because the segment ring is quite loose and can be stretched to its greatest diameter when laid on the cooling ring. The fitting of the ring into the furnace only takes a few seconds. The sealing device is absolutely certain in operation because it has been found by experience that replacements of parts are never necessary, and when the entire sealing devicev is to be replace-d, this can be done at any time during the operation of the furnace. Thesimple construction, small height and resistivity to heat and the great strength of the material used for making the same is the reason for this absolute certainty of operation and the entire elimination of maintenance costs.

I claim 1. A sealing device for electrodes of electric furnaces, comprising magnetic ring segments disposed round an electrode, and links pivotally connected to each other and to adjacent segments, the movement of said links relatively to the segmentsbeing restricted.

2. A sealing device for electrodes of electric furnaces, comprising magnetic ring segments disposed round an electrode, cover plates for covering the joints between adjacent segments, and links pivot-ally connected to each other and to adjacent segments, the movement of said links relatively to the segments being restricted.

3. A sealing device for electrodes of electric furnaces, comprising magnetic ring segments disposed round an electrode, non-magnetic cover plates for covering the joints between adjacent segments, and links pivotally connected to each other and to adjacent segments, the movement of said links relatively to the segments being restricted.

4. A sealing device for electrodes of electric -furnaces comprising a plurality of rings, each divided into segments, disposed round an electrode, and links pivotally connected to each other and to adjacent segments, 'the movement of said links relatively to the segments being restricted by said segments.

5. A sealing device for electrodes of electric furnaces comprising a plurality of rings, each divided into segments, disposed round an electrode, cover plates for covering the joints between adjacent segments, and links pivotally connected to eachother and to adjacent segments, the movement of said links relatively to the segments being restricted.

6. A sealing device for electrodes of electric furnaces comprising a plurality of rings, each divided into segments, disposed round an electrode, non-magnetic cover plates for covering the joints between adjacent segments, and links pivotally connected to each other and to adjacent segments, the movement of said links relatively to the segments being restricted.

7. A sealing device for electrodes of electric furnaces, comprising magnetic ring segments disposed round an electrode, ivots in recesses formed in surfaces of sai segments, links with their ends fitting into said recesses and adapted to swing throu h an angle around the said pivots which is etermined by the lateral walls of said re.- cesses, and ivots interconnecting each two adjacent li s.

ln testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERICH BECK. Witnesses:

MARIA THIRY, HENRY MEARGULIE.

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